AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Jo broke the uncomfortable silence first. The man was still waiting for her to answer his question.
“Someone stole my purse right out of the passenger window." Jo motioned to the empty box top near the open window. "I chased him.”
“You left your car, with the keys in it, to run after a purse snatcher in this neighborhood?”
Jo nodded lamely realizing now how absurd that had been to leave her 25,000 dollar car to chase after her 400 hundred dollar purse.
She saw him shake his head in disbelief so she just shrugged her shoulders.
“I take it you didn’t catch him?” He said noting her empty hands.
“Nope.” Jo changed her one footed stance and grimaced as she looked down at her knees. They were both skinned and blood ran down the front of both her shins.
“Oh crap!” You are hurt.” He stepped back from her and gently cupped her by the elbows, guiding her so she would sit down in the driver's seat. Her legs hung over the side of the seat and she placed her bare foot on top of the shoed one so it would not touch the hot pavement.
When he saw she was missing her shoe he saw where it lay on the street and retrieved it.
Jo let him ease her into her car's seat but tensed when he folded his large frame down so he was perched back on his heels. He was so tall that the top of his head still came up to her chin. The first thing he did was place her foot back in her shoe with its broken heel.
"Better?" He asked.
She smiled at him. "Yes, thank you. If I'd had my sneakers on I would have caught the jerk." She mumbled
The man laughed out loud and Jo liked that she had made him laugh.
He took the hanky from her hand and started to dab at the blood.
“Oh no, that’s alright, please, I can do that.” Jo tried to take the hanky back and block his hand, but he gently swatted her hand away. He gave her a grin that set her heart racing, and her breath hitched as she watched the handsome man perched on his heels before her.
“Relax I got this.” He told her as his eyes left her face and focused on her skinned knees.
Jo leaned to her side, her head propped against her arm that was resting on the curve of the seat. She watched him as he carefully cleaned her cuts and when he spied her half filled water bottle in the cars door cup holder he nodded at it and she nodded back. He took the water bottle and wet the now bloody linen and then thoroughly cleaned her battered knees.
“My name is Wes.” He said without looking up from his self appointed EMT job.
“I’m Jo.” She relied wearily.
“Tough day, huh?” He glanced up at her.
It was such an understatement she had to giggle.
“You have no idea.”
He shot her a quizzical look by arching one eyebrow and Jo thought it was such a sexy, animated look that she unconsciously chewed on her lower lip. Wes’ hand stilled and Jo became aware that he was staring at her mouth. Jo put her hand out to push the hanky off her knee. His eyes were still on her face and Jo knew she was blushing.
“Do you always go around rescuing idiotic women in distress?” She said poking fun at herself.
He smiled up at her liking that she had a sense of humor.
“Only the beautiful ones that leave their cars running in the middle of the street.”
Jo laughed and Wes chuckled. He was suddenly very glad he’d been walking down the sidewalk at that time.
“Wes thank you for everything. I’m sorry I freaked out before. It reall
y has been a pretty bad day.”
Wes remained perched on his heels, and Jo shuddered, and not because she was cold. Wes felt the light shiver under his fingertips and unconsciously rubbed the back of her calf as if to warm her.
